A word from our outgoing editor

At the end of this week I will be wrapping up my role as editor-in-chief of Writers Bloc which, as happy as I always am for the opportunity to reference The Sound of Music, is still somewhat bittersweet.

As a writer I’ve talked a lot about how the arts are viewed by society at large – how often we are told that it would be better to leave creative pursuits as hobbies, something to fill the spaces around “real jobs” and “real work”, and how it is exactly this attitude that leads to the chronic undervaluing of our skills. As an editor I work to challenge this idea. The arts do have value, and the people working in the field deserve to be treated as such.

I’ve been proud to bring this ethos to my work at Writers Bloc over the last year and I was lucky to walk into such a great community. Through the scaffolding created by founder Geoff Orton, Writers Bloc has a legacy of stories and ideas that owe a great debt to previous editors Sam van Zweden and Liam Pieper and to the remarkable writers that found a voice and a platform on the site.

It has been a privilege to add to this; to continue showcasing the work of both emerging and established writers, to share their ideas and philosophies – and to have raised the amount we were able to pay them. Introducing the Anatomy of series allowed us to get to know the inner workings of projects ranging from comedy shows to newspapers, and Pub Trivia allowed us to get to know some of Australia’s best publications a little bit better.

Writers Bloc has always been ambitious – aiming to both showcase the work of writers and to provide education opportunities. As the site moves forward, the focus is now going to shift towards the skill-building side of things.

It’s an exciting time – under Katerina Bryant’s deft, impressive and skilled guidance as Building Blocs editor, and now Writing Development Manager, the site has made great strides in this area over the past year.

While it will be sad to the stories side of things fade, I also look forward to seeing how the site grows and develops. Sam and Liam left big shoes to fill, and, as grateful as I am to have had the opportunity to don them this past year, it is now time to hang those shoes up as Writers Bloc enters a new phase.

There are a lot of people who deserve thanks. Geoff, for this opportunity. Katerina, for being such a pleasure to work with, not only on this but also on the projects we’ve shared in the past. Liam, for all his hard work, and help when I was learning the ropes. But most of all, the writers – those who I was able to publish and those I wasn’t. Thank you for trusting me with your work, your time, and your ideas.